GB2129038A

GB2129038A - Glazing

Info

Publication number: GB2129038A
Application number: GB08328620A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Garside
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-10-26
Filing date: 1983-10-26
Publication date: 1984-05-10
Also published as: GB8328620D0

Abstract

A transparent or translucent pane 12 held in a peripheral frame 10 by internal pressure above ambient in a resilient hollow member 13, 43 formed from side pieces 14 and corner pieces 15 and having an inner slot receiving the pane. The member 13 is inflatable through an inlet 20, 30 having a non-return valve. For a large frame, a strut may divide the area prior to glazing. The hollow member may comprise an inner aluminium extrusion providing the slot and embracing an outer inflatable tube. The arrangement may be associated with an existing window to give double glazing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to glazing This invention relates to glazing.

Systems of double glazing are known but they are often complicated and expensive.

According to this invention glazing comprises a transparent or translucent sheet of material having peripheral support comprising a hollow member having an internal pressure greater than ambient.

The hollow member may be held in a peripheral frame by said pressure.

The hollow member may comprise an inner member associated with an outer member whose internal pressure is greater than ambient. The outer member may comprise a peripheral tube.

The hollow member may comprise side pieces and corner pieces.

The corner pieces may be telescoped in the side pieces.

The hollow member may include an inlet associated with a non-return valve.

The support may provide an inwardly facing slot receiving a peripheral portion of the sheet.

The invention also includes a frame having said glazing.

The invention also includes a frame supporting a transparent or translucent sheet of material, and said glazing to give double glazing.

The invention also includes an assembly adapted to form glazing comprising a transparent or translucent sheet of material having peripheral support comprising a hollow member adapted to be inflatable to an internal pressure greater than ambient.

The invention also includes a method of glazing a frame comprising assembling in the frame a transparent or translucent sheet having a peripheral support comprising a hollow member, and increasing the pressure in the interior of the hollow member to hold the frame and hollow member together.

The invention also includes glazing when assembled by said method.

The invention may be performed in various ways and two specific embodiments with possible modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a window with double glazing including glazing according to the invention: Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of part of Fig. 1 ; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to part of Fig. 2 of another embodiment.

In Figs. 1, 2 an existing glazed window is provided with glazing according to the invention to give double glazing. The existing window comprises a wood frame 10 in which is supported, for example by putty in conventional manner, a glass window plane 11. In the present case additional glazing is provided by a rectangular pane 12 supported around its periphery in a flexible or resilient hollow member 13 which is held in place substantially by internal pressure, the hollow member on its outer sides engaging the frame 10. One side of member 13 would normally engage the face of pane 1 1.

The frame 10 is rectangular and the hollow member 13 is formed from hollow elongate side pieces 14 and L-shaped hollow corner pieces 15.

The side pieces 14 are of uniform cross-section generally similar to the cross-section of the corner pieces 15. The side pieces 14 and corner pieces 15 have central inwardly facing slots 16 for receiving a peripheral marginal portion of a side of the pane 12. The corner pieces 15 may be of a standard size and are provided with projections 17 telescopically receivable in the ends of the adjacent side piece 14; adhesive may be placed on the projections 17 to effect an air-tight seal with the side pieces.

The side pieces, corner pieces and pane 12 may be supplied to a user as a kit of parts in a pack for assembly by the user; the pack would include adhesive. Alternatively the pack would include a length or tube of hollow member from which a user can cut off side pieces to desired lengths.

The pane 12 is transparent or acceptably translucent and has a degree of flexibility or resilience enabling it to be assembled in the slot 16. The unit of pane 12, corner pieces and side pieces can be assembled and then placed in position in the frame 10 with a gentle push fit.

One side piece 14 is provided with an inlet 20 including a non-return valve through which air is introduced into the assembled hollow member 13 to increase the internal pressure in the hollow member 13 to urge it outwards firmly into peripheral engagement with the frame 10 to provide an air-tight or substantially air-tight seal with the frame 10. The increased pressure also causes the hollow member 13 firmly to hold the pane 12 to give an air-tight seal. The side pieces and corner pieces are fairly stiff before inflation.

The valve 20 could for example be of the kind associated with a bicycle wheel inner tube, or could be of the kind used in a football in which case the valve does not stand proud of the surface of the hollow member. It will be understood that a conventional manually operated pump could be used to inflate the hollow member in these cases.

In a preferred arrangement the valve 20 is associated with a corner piece 15, as shown at 30, rather than a side piece. Valves may be provided in more than one corner piece.

The pane 12 could for example be of material sold under the name Perspex (R.T.M.). The hollow member 13 could for example be of a suitable rubber.

The pane 12 is largely self-supporting and is not floppy like a very thin plastics wrapping sheet.

Instead of the unit being used to modify an existing window to give double glazing, it will be understood that the frame 10 could have two such units with hollow members 13 to give double glazing.

The frame 10 could be of other materials, e.g.

metal.

If desired the pane 12 may additionally be held in slot 16 by adhesive placed in the slot prior to insertion of the pane 12.

If the window 10 is large, a bracing strut 40, for example of aluminium, may be placed to extend between opposite sides of the frame and two separate panes 12 and respective hollow members 13 could then be inserted, one side of each hollow member 13 engaging a side of the strut 40. Other forms of strut could be used to reduce the required sizes of panes 12.

In a modified arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the hollow member 13 is in the form of an inner aluminium relatively rigid extrusion 40 defining slot 16 and having equal parallel spaced sides 41, 42 which embrace an outer inflatable circular section resilient rubber tube 43. The uniform section extrusion 40 comprises four lengths which are cut at an angle at their ends as at 44 to provide an abutting engagement and the tube 43 is endless. The tube 43 extends below the free edges 45 of sides 41,42 into sealing engagement with the frame; valve 30 may as shown be in the part of tube 43 outside extrusion 40.

Claims

1. Glazing comprising a transparent or translucent sheet of material having peripheral support comprising a hollow member having an internal pressure greater than ambient.

2. Glazing as claimed in claim 1, in which the hollow member is held in a peripheral frame by said pressure.

3. Glazing as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the hollow member comprises an inner member associated with an outer member whose internal pressure is greater than ambient.

4. Glazing as claimed in claim 3, in which the outer member comprises a peripheral tube.

5. Glazing as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the hollow member comprises side pieces and corner pieces.

6. Glazing as claimed in claim 5, in which the corner pieces are telescoped in the side pieces.

7. Glazing as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the hollow member comprises an inlet associated with a non-return valve.

8. Glazing as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the support provides an inwardly facing slot receiving a peripheral portion of the sheet.

9. Glazing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs.

1 and 2, or Fig. 3, of the accompanying drawings.

10. Aframe including glazing as claimed in any preceding claim.

11. A frame supporting a transparent or translucent sheet of material, and glazing as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 to give double glazing.

12. An assembly adapted to form glazing comprising a transparent or translucent sheet of material having peripheral support comprising a hollow member adapted to be inflatable to an internal pressure greater than ambient.

13. A kit of parts for assembly into glazing as claimed in claim 5 comprising a transparent or translucent sheet of material, side pieces and corner pieces adapted to be assembled to form peripheral support for said sheet inflatable to an internal pressure greater than ambient.

14. A method of glazing a frame comprising assembling in the frame a transparent or translucent sheet having a peripheral support comprising a hollow member, and increasing the pressure in the interior of the hollow member to hold the frame and hollow member together.

1 5. A method of glazing substantially as hereinbefore described.

1 6. Glazing when assembled by a method as claimed in claim 14 or claim

15.